Why

Before we begin our - hopefully, interesting and entertaining - journey, I'd like to answer another question, which I seem to be asked almost as frequently as the one about the blog . The question have been phrased differently by different people, but it always boils down to this: why do I shoot artistic nudity?

Unlike the blog question, however, I have always had numerous good reasons for this one.

It's a classic art. 

Since the dawn of our civilization endless (some very good and famous) artists were trying to capture the beauty of a naked female body on all sorts of media: cave walls, frescoes, paintings, marble - the list goes on and on. I kinda like the company.

Model: Anais. Studio: PhotoSoCal

It's beautiful.

I honestly don't know any other subjects that I would love to see and work with (as a photographer, at least) as much as I love to see and work with a beautiful naked woman. Her body becomes my canvas - sometimes even literally!

Model: Lury. Studio: PhotoSoCal

It's (extremely) challenging.

I hear snorts and giggles at this one. "Yeah, right. You've got a naked chick (or even several) at your command, obediently following your every word, assuming any pose you tell her/them to,  how difficult can it be to snap a decent picture of her/them?"

Models: Tessa, Alexis, Gabriel. Studio: PhotoSoCal 

Well, you can go ahead and try. The challenges are staggering to say the least. And I'm not even talking about the most basic one: finding a model. That - simplest - task, if failed, kinda stops you dead in your tracks.

Once you actually have a willing subject prepped and ready, the real challenges begin.

Yes, you're in complete control, but that also means you're responsible for everything. Unlike shooting a landscape or a wildlife, where you're always playing a game of chance with the factors you have almost zero level of control (clouds pattern, sun/moon position, target behavior, etc.), it's all your decision. It's up to you to make it or break it. Which means you have to know what you're going to get before you push your trigger, not in the aftermath.

Next, your subject is nude. Naked. Bare. All out. Which means - you don't have anything else. No pretty outfits to help you. Nothing to conceal a patch of cellulite, some old scar or a fresh mosquito bite with. Nothing to hide a less-than-perfect tummy behind. All you have to work with is posing and lighting. Maybe some basic props.

• Side note: Why not fancy props/clothing? Why not elaborate makeup?
  To me, the answer is simple. When your see a result of any "commercial" shoot, you know there are dozens of people involved in the production. Somebody designed and constructed an outfit, somebody has chosen a location, somebody provided props, makeup, hair, etc., etc. The role of a model is almost diminished to the one of a (voice-controlled) mannequin. And the role of a photographer, sadly, is diminished to a role of a button-pusher - all the important decisions are already made. You have to operate within an extremely tight set of boundaries, which basically dictate the rest. The impact of both model and photographer is diluted so much, it's almost impossible to get a solid credit for it: it's a team work, and you and your models are no more essential than a hair stylist or a caterer (we all have to eat, no)?
  To avoid this "dilution of efforts" I'm trying to minimize any non-necessary objects and roles, so there is only a bare (pun intended) minimum of  parties who are responsible for the final result, namely me and my models.

Last but not least: I'm a straight male. Happily married, with two beautiful daughters, but a straight male nonetheless. Watching a beautiful naked female body curled into the most alluring/seductive/appealing positions (and not just generically alluring - it's YOUR shoot, remember? So it is YOU who actually direct the said pose to be specifically the most alluring/seductive/appealing for you) for extended periods of time (my shoots often  last several hours in a row), sometimes with its most tender, oh, what the hell, erotic parts being just a few inches away, WHILE paying attention to the seemingly "inconsequential" details, like a camera angle, ISO/DOF/SS/FL (and the whole set of utterly important camera settings), lights angles/ratio/quality, light spill on the background, flare coming from the rim, askew necklace on that long thin neck, a speck of mascara on that gentle cheek, a rogue hair strand, etc.  -  is not an exercise for a weak-minded.

Oh well. I hope I answered the question. Let's start our journey!